#7 We'Moon Tarot Forum June, 2017 Beginning again

We are now in the count-down of final Major Arcana cards in the Tarot deck that the annual themes of We’Moon are based on. As you probably know by now, the last two digits of the year correspond to the Roman Numeral of the Major Arcana card around which we conjure the theme for each year’s We’Moon—representing the cosmic forces bearing upon us. What is new, in considering these culminating cards of the Major Arcana, is that each edition of We’Moon for these next four years features a Major Arcana card that is also associated with one of the 4 elements that make up the 4 suits of the Minor Arcana—the karmic, more personal forces at work in our lives.

So, for this year (2017), the Star Card (XVII) is our focus, and we are also looking at the Air element, traditionally depicted in Tarot as the suit of Swords (or Spades, in an ordinary deck of playing cards). See the other elements (Minor Arcana) associated with the (Major Arcana) themes coming up, as outlined below. The fifth and final Major Arcana card, traditionally depicted as a woman dancing through the hoop of the World, embodies a realization of wholeness, where all the elements come together as one in the center.

Timing: As an old circle song reminds us: “You can’t hurry the Goddess, She’s always right on time!” It has taken 36 years for We’Moon themes to get to this point in the Major Arcana (although there are only 22 Major Arcana cards, we had to cycle back to start the count all over again after the Moon card (XVIII) in ’99—with 0, the Fool in 2000; so bear with us for a few more years until we get through the uncharted cards following the Moon card this time around. At this time, in June of 2017, We’Moon 2018: La Luna is hot off the press and available for sale. . .and the Call for Contributions to solicit art and writing for We’Moon 2019 is already in circulation. Because we who create We’Moon are simultaneously involved in three editions of We’Moon (each at different stages), two years from now, in 2019, we will already be soliciting contributions for We’Moon 2021, with the theme based on the final Major Arcana card in the deck: “The World.” That means we will then be in process of making final selections for the full We’Moon Tarot Deck—to be produced and available for sale in 2020, along with We’Moon 2021.

Since the We’Moon Tarot deck will be selected exclusively from published art and writing in the We’Moon datebook, please be forewarned, dear We’Moon contributors, the art and writing you send in for We’Moon in the next couple years will be the last chance for your work to also be considered for inclusion in the We’Moon Tarot. During the same time frame, the We’Moon Tarot Forum will be considering selections from We’Moon for all the Major Arcana cards (22 images— from 0:The Fool to XXI: The World), as well as 14 numbered cards (1-10 + 4 face cards) in each of the 4 element suits of the Minor Arcana that together make up a full deck of 78 Tarot cards. Brief excerpts from writings will also be considered along with the art images, for inclusion in the booklet that will accompany the deck (as the brief quotes for each card given here are examples of from the booklets accompanying these Tarot decks created by We’Moon contributors.

The We’Moon Tarot will feature images from We’Moon over a span of 40 years that bridges the turn of this century—a critical time in the evolution of humanity and the sustainability of earth life . . . whichever way the cards fall in this period. The deck as a whole will be a unique We’Moon reading of our times, and an oracular resource for individual wemoon to use in navigating the tricky cross-currents during the collapse of patriarchy and, hopefully, the emergence of a more sustainable world order that We’Moon has been imaging-in all these years.

“Star” from Rainbow Earth Tarot @ Margaret Duperly 2013 Rainbow Press (rainbowearthtarot (at) gmail.com)‘The bather floats in deep communion with earth and sky. The Star is the light of compassion and harmony…The grace, comfort and peace of your true nature shine through a parting of the veils of wonder. Relax into rest, and inspiration. The light of no boundaries flows through you…'

We start in on this final sequence of Tarot-based We’Moon themes with a look at different interpretations of the Star Card and an exploration of the Air element (consciousness/big picture perspectives/inspiration/breath of life/new paradigms). We will feature images from existing tarot decks created by We’Moon artists and writers, as a skeletal framework on which to flesh out We’Moon perspectives of each card. In each successive Moon/month to come this year, we will expand our view to include a) other potential renderings of the Star card, and the numerological sequence of the Air element from We’Moon editions, b) selections from Tarot decks created by We’Moon contributors whose work is featured regularly in the Tarot Forum to inspire our choices, and c) review potential choices for other Major Arcana cards as seen in various editions of We’Moon.

During this lunar month, we will be exploring different interpretations of the Tower card (XVI in the Tarot Major Arcana) which is the basis forWe'Moon 2016's theme. Quantum Leap gives a positive spin to how we might respond to the systemic break-downs in, around and among us: energizing the ‘growth opportunity’. . .